Cigarette paper booklet



May 14,1946.

0. F. GOEPFERT ETAL CIGARETTE PAPER BOOKLET Filed March 27, 1942 gvwmwtow 011-0 FZGOEPFERT;

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Patented May 14, 1946 UNITED STATE CIGARETTE PAPER BOOKLET Otto F. Goepfert, WalterK. .Straus, Mamet H. Clayton, Jr., Brevard,N. 0., assignors to Champagne Paper Corporation, a corporation of North Carolina Application March 27, 1942, Serial No. 436,434

' 1 Claim. (01.206 57) Our invention relates to cigarette paper booklets and more particularly to an improved fastener for the type of booklet disclosed in Harry H. Straus application Serial No. 412,950, filed September 30, 1941, now matured into Patent No. 2,351,643.

This type of booklet comprises a single unitary cover made of relatively thick paper having a front and back portion and an integral backbone or hinge portion which permits easy opening and shutting of the booklet. Within the cover is arranged a stack of cigarette papers adhesively fastened to the inner surface of the backbone or hinge portion so as to hold the papers in proper superimposed position and to permit easy removal of the papers in seriatim without disturbing the remaining leaves of the stack. This booklet is provided with a closure means in the form of a rubber or elastic band anchored to the cover at a suitable point and adapted upon stretching to extend around the periphery of the outer cover and hold the booklet in proper closed position so as to protect the enclosed stack of cigarette papers.

When rubber is difficult to obtain, such as in times of war, it is desirable to use some other means than a rubber band for closing the booklet or at least to conserve the amount of rubber used. In accordance with our invention we have discovered and developed for commercial use a closure means that is simple in construction, is easily manipulated, and is very eflicient in its function.

Our improved booklet closure means comprises a string or short piece of flexible material suitably attached to one portion of the booklet cover and held in a slot in an opposing portion of the cover so as to keep the booklet in closed position when not in use and to permit easy opening of the booklet when desired.

The connecting string or flexible member may be made of natural or synthetic fiber, leather, rubber, or any other suitable material. It may be securely fastenedto one part of the booklet by stapling, adhesive tape or other suitable means such as threading the string through an aperture and knotting it at the end to hold it in place. The free or unattached end of the string is removably held in a friction slot or notch formed in the booklet cover at a suitable location.

Details of construction and mode of use of our invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of the cigarette pais a stack or block of cigarette papers per booklet heldin closed position by a' string fastener; and f Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the'cigar'ette paper booklet and fastener in open position.

Referring now to the several figures and gen erally in the order in which they occur, the booklet comprises a thick paper or paper board cover In having front and back (or top and bottom) portions l l and I2 respectively, and an integral hinge or backbone portion l3. Inside of the cover I4, which are adhesively fastened to the backbone along the edge indicated at I5, and are individually removable in conventional manner.

The fastening device comprises a string such as l6, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which string may have a knot as indicated at I! to prevent tearing or unraveling. A knot, however, is not necessary with certain typ of strings or other fasteners. In cooperative relationship with the string is a friction slot Is for engaging and holding the otherwise free end of the string I6 or other flexible fastening member.

The slot I8 is made of suitable shape and dimensions to hold the string l6 when it is placed therein and thereby maintain the booklet in neatly closed position. However, the slot will easily permit the string to be drawn through or pulled out of the slot by the user. For fastening the booklet in closed position, such as shown in Fig. 1, the free end of the string is pulled downward until the short section adjacent the fixed end is practically embedded in the slot [8.

To prevent accidental slippage of the strin or "fastener through the slot l8 the string is advantageously of a ribbed or braided construction or has some irregular surface. Also, it is of advantage to use a string having an appreciably greater width or diameter than the width of the slot l8. By either or both of these means the slot serves as a friction slot and prevents undesired slippage of the string.

The slot 3 may be formed in a manner conducive to holding the string in place in the slot, when the booklet is closed. For example, if the slot is made by cutting the booklet edge with a sharp, thinblade the opening formed will be very narrow and practically closed by the opposite cut edges. When the string is inserted in this narrow slot and edges will tend to grip and hold the string in place.

The method and means of attaching the string are subject to a number of variations. In one illustrative but non-limiting example the fixed end of the string is held by a paper or fabrictab.

This tab is placed over one end of the string and is glued to the inside face 20 of the booklet. Another means of holding the fastener is a metal staple, such as shown at I 9 in-Fig. 2. The adhesive tab or other means of holding the fixed end of the string may be located on either the inside or outside face of the booklet cover. While the usually preferable position for this attachment is about midway the length of the booklet, it will be understood that the attachment may be made at any other desired location.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the booklet and fasteners described above without departing from the scope of ourinvention, some of the novel features of which are defined in the appended claim. For example, the booklet cover may be made of relatively thin paper or fabric instead of the stifi, thick paper or paper bond. Also, any desired descriptive matter, indicia, or advertisement may be printed on the outer or inner faces of the cover.

We claim as our invention:

In a booklet for cigarette papers and the like, a cover having opposing, integral cover portions hingedly connected along one edge and arranged to receive therebetween a pack of cigarette papers, and a fastening means for said cover comprisin a flexible string of non-elastic material secured to one of said cover portions adjacent to a free edge thereof, and an open-ended marginal slot formed in a free edge of the opposing cover portion at a point substantially directly opposite the point at which said flexible string is secured to said first mentioned cover portion, said marginal slot being of less width than the diameter of the flexible string and being adapted to receive the flexible string and to hold it adjustably in frictional gripping engagement whereby to maintain the opposed cover portions of said booklet in closed position and at all times in snug contact with an enclosed package of cigarette papers as the thickness of the pack diminishes during use, and Said flexible string being disposed substantially at right angles to the opposed cover portions of said booklet and transversely to said marginal slot when engaged in said slot to maintain the booklet in closed position.

OT'IOv F. GOEPFERT.

' WALTER K. STRAUS.

ROBERT H. CLAYTON, JR. 

